Matrix rolling machine and method



Juiy 23, 1935.

C. S. CRAFTS MATRIX ROLLING MACHiNE AND METHOD Filed Feb. -6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l M 23, 1935. Q s, CRAFTS v 2,008,819

MATRIX ROLLING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Feb. 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 23, 1935 r a j UNITED, STATES MATRIX aoLLINdMAcnntE N Y METHOD, 7 Curtis s. Crafts, Oak Park, Illa assignorftoi lhe Goss Printing Press- Company, Chicago,-Ill., 2.

- corporation of Illinois Application February 6,

-18Claims. (c1. icy-17);")

I The present invention relates to a novel and improved method of and apparatus for producing stereotype matrices which are suitable for th casting of newspaper stereotype plates.

Objects andadvantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed. out in the appended claims. the invention consists in the novel parts; construction, arrangements, combination and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred toherein and constituting a. part hereof, illustrate one embodimentof the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principlesof the invention. I Of the drawings: a V Figure 1' is a fragmentaryfelevation, with certain parts broken away, of an illustrativei em- ,bodiment of the present'invention; f Figures 2 and 3 are diagrammatic'viewssh'owing different positions of the driving mechanism during the operation of the e'mbodimentshown'in Figure 1; v Figure 4' is a vertical section taken on'jthe line 44 of Figure l; and 1 I 7 Q. a Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary" sectional views, partially diagrammatic, showingjthe positions of the cylinder and eccentrics during'opr eration. v r a f 7 The' present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improvedmethod of producing stereotype matrices by which anystretching of the matrix during its production is avoided. v A further object is the provision of an improved stereotype matrix rollinglmachine for carrying out the method of the present invention. {Still another object is the provision of a stereotype matrix rolling machine in which thec'ylinderfor pressing the flong against the form may be moved at an'approximately. iconstantbut slightlyvarying the'speed to compensate for any unevenness-inthe back of the flong, such asmight be caused byrelatively large open or non-prime ingparts ofthe form. I In accordancewith the method of the present invention, the form to be reproduced is placed on a flat, unyielding bed and is covered in theusual manner with the flong and packing-sheets. When thus prepared, theform, supported on its bed, is passed beneath a pressure cylinder mounted for rollingmovement over thefform' andwhich is adapted to pres'sthe flong against and1into;the

surface of the fornrto produce the matrix; The

pressurecylinder is preferablyrotated so that its peripheral speed is approximatelythe same as ,the; linear speedof the form, but this approxina tely. constant speed of the pressure cylinder is varied slightlyas 'required by any unevenness in the back-pf the fiong so as to permit the cylinder tofspeedvupfslightly a'sL-the cylinder rolls into or -.'ut of a-.- holl0'w correspondingto an open or non- ;printing part, or I the form. .In this way, any

stretching-or longitudinalsqueezing of the flong is avoided-which: would tend to cause slurs,-and.

,lwould'fhormally-result from movement of the cylinder and form; at the same speed. After rolling of the matrix; is' completed, the packing is repyedjf thle matri -isstripped from the surface of the form and may thereafter be curved and scorched in the usual manner.

P referably',-,and in-accordancel'with the illusztrative embodiment of the present invention, the

form supporting'bedcomprises a relatively large, heavy andflat slab of steel or other metal which is slidablyimounted in a frame and'is'supported ,byw a-;relativelyj -large cylinder to which it is geared;- the cylinder being rotatably mounted in the frame and driVen by suitable power means. Asecond cylinder is preferably mounted immediatelyfaboyethe first cylinder and is driven from the-first cylind'er bymeans of gearing including .a resilient or yielding means whereby the speed of the bed or form is :substantially the same .as

: h p pheral speed, of the second cylinder, but

lthe'speed of the second cylinder may vary slightly due'to the, resilient means. Means are alsopreferablycprovided for-g minutely varying the dis, tance between the .fiong-pressing cylinder and the-bed so thatthe form and flong 'mayjbepas'sed beneath thepressure cylinder and subjected to any desired degree of pressure or to no-pres'sure at all; and. other means are preferably provided large cylinder l2 extending beneath the bed and transversely of its line of reciprocation, as well as by small rollers (not shown) on either side of the cylinder l2, and runways I3.

Cylinder I2 is preferably geared to bed In, and for this purpose gears I 4, one at either end of the cylinder, are keyed to the cylinder shaft l5, which is journalled in side frames I l, and mesh with the racks l4 secured to the under side of the bed l0.

Means are provided for driving the bed in either direction, and for this purpose a gear I6 is keyed to one end of the shaft l5 and meshes with a gear i7 keyed to shaft l8 which is journalled in the side frame II and also in the outboard bearing carried by bracket I 9. At its inner end, shaft I8 is keyed to a worm gear meshing with a reversible, motor-driven worm 2| which is rotatably mounted by means of its shaft in bearings carried by the brackets 22 on the inside of frame I I.

As is usual in the rolling of stereotype matrices, the form is supported in a chase 25 on the bed Ill. The fiongin asuitably moistened or otherwise plastic condition is laid over the surface of the type, plates, or other matter composing the form, and the flong 2B is then covered with some cushioning material such as a sheet of fibre 21 and rubber 28. a

Means are provided for pressing the flong against and into the surface of the form so that its surface receives an impression of the form and is thereby changed into a matrix. As embodied, a relatively large cylinder is rotatably mounted above the bed l0, preferably in line with the cylinder l2, and is adapted to be rolled over the rear face of the flong 26 with considerable pressure. Cylinder 30 is rotatably mounted in the frame H in a manner which will be later more fully described. 7

Gearing is provided in accordance with the present invention for rotating the cylinder 30 as the bed I0 is reciprocated, the peripheral speed of the cylinder 30 being approximately the same as the linear speed of the bed l0 and form 25. As embodied, a sprocket 32 is keyed to shaft I8 so as to be driven proportionately to the rotation of cylinder i2, and cylinder 3|] is provided with a similar sprocket 33 keyed to its shaft 34. For connecting the cylinders l2and 30 together a chain 38 runs overthe sprockets 32 and 33.

Means are provided for permitting slight variations in the speed of the cylinder 30 with reference to the speed of the bed "Land for this purpose idlers 40 are provided, one for each reach of the chain 36. Idlers, 40 are mounted for free rotation on the ends of arms 42, which arms are independently pivoted on a bushing 44, supported by. bracket. l9 and surrounding shaft I8.

A spring is provided for resiliently urging the idlers 40 and their arms 42 away from each other, to take up slack in the chain 36 and to provide a resilient drive from sprocket 32 to cylinder 30. Spring 45 is coiled about a threaded rod 46, pivoted at one end to a lug 41 on one arm 42 and at its other end passing through an aperture in a lug 48 on the other arm 42. Means are provided for variably compressing the spring 45 and comprise the collar 49 andthreaded hand wheel 50. As the bed I0 is moved, cylinder 30 is driven at approximately the same peripheral speed, but any slight variationsrequir'ed in the speed of cylinder 3! are cared for by movement of one or the other arms 42 against the compression of spring 45.

Means are also provided for raising or lowering the cylinder 30 into or out of pressing posicentric 5 l tion, and these means also preferably permit the cylinder to be used with forms of different thickness. As embodied, cylinder 30 is rotatably mounted by means of its shaft 34 in an eccentric sleeve 50 which, in turn, is mounted in a second eccentric sleeve 5 I, this second eccentricsleeve being rotatable in a suitable aperture in the frame H. An eccentric 50 and another 51 is provided at either end of the cylinder. Eccentric 50 serves to move the cylinder to and from matrix rolling position and to vary the rolling pressure,

while eccentric 5| serves to move the cylinder to a position suitable for rolling matrices from type-high forms, or to a position suitable for rolling matrices from thin shells or plates 25.

Means are also provided for moving the eccentrics 5| in unison with each other, and a shaft 55 is rotatably journalled in the upper part of frame I l and carries pinions 56 which mesh with a gear 54 formed on the inner end of each ec- Hand Wheels 51 are provided at the ends of shaft 55 to facilitate turning the shaft.

For turning eccentrics 50 in'unis'on, a sprocket 58 is keyedto each of these eccentrics, and these sprockets are connected with sprockets 59 by means of chains 69. Sprockets 59 are mounted on a shaft 6| which is also rotatably mounted in the frame H and is provided at its ends with hand-wheels 62. As the roller is moved up and down, the slack in chain 36 is taken up by idlers 48 which are pressed apart by means of their compression spring 45.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the center of the eccentric 5! is at A, while the center of eccentric 50 is at B, and the center of the cylinder 30 is at C. Figure 5 shows the position of these parts when in proper relation for rolling a. matrix on a thick form, such as type. Fig. 6 shows the position of these parts when properly set for rolling a matrix on a thin shell or plate.

The peripheral speed of cylinder 30 is,. as stated above, preferably normally the same as thespeed of the bed In, and when constructed in this manner, the resiliently mounted idlers 40 permit the cylinder 30 to accelerate as it passes over any uneven parts in the back of the flong, while the flat portions of the back of the flong normally require deceleration of the cylinder to prevent any stretching of the mat. This acceleration and deceleration of the cylinder 30 is accompanied by a shifting of the arms 42 and idlers 40 to one side or the other, causing them to move from the position shown in Figure 2 to more or less the position shown in Figure 3, or

vice Versa. 7

However, the peripheral speed of the cylinder 30 may be made slightly greater than the speed of the bed 10, and in this case any unevenness in the back of the flong will cause the chain 36 to be tightened on one side, While flat portions of the back of the flong will allow' the chain to return to its normal condition. I

Theinvention in its broader aspects'is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and-described but departures may be made. therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from'ithe principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

WhatI claim is:

1. The method of forming a stereotype matrix which includes positioning a flong over theform and resiliently urging a cylinder over the flong while pressing the flong against the'surface of the form by the cylinder; whereby the'speed of the cylinder is varied to compensate for. any unevennessin the back or top o'fthe fion.g.= a

2. The method of forming a stereotype matrix which includes positioning a flong over the form, pressing the fionglinto thefsurfaceof the form by means of a cylinder and resiliently rotating .the cylinder while it is pressing theflong against the form to roll the cylinder over'the flong."

' 3. The method of forming a. stereotypematrix which includes positioning a fiong over the form, pressing the flong' against the. :surface' lOf the form by means of a cylinder, moving therfiong andfforni' bene'ath the cylinder and minutely varying the speed of rotation of the roller to compensate for unevenness in the back of the fiong.

4. A matrix rolling machine including in combination a pair of cylinders spaced apart and superposed one above the other, a bed for supporting a form geared to one of said cylinders and positioned between them, and means for resiliently driving one of the cylinders including resiliently movable gearing interconnecting the cylinders so that the peripheral speed of the upper cylinder is approximately that of the bed.

5. A matrix rolling machine including in combination a pair of cylinders spaced apart and superposed one above the other, a bed for sup-' porting a form geared to one of said cylinders and positioned between them, and means for resiliently driving the other of said cylinders at approximately the peripheral speed of the bed including a resiliently mounted member shiftable to vary the relative angular positions of the cylinders, the resilient drive permitting said other cylinder to accelerate or decelerate as required by unevenness in the surface of the form.

6. A matrix rolling machineincluding in combination a cylinder, a form supporting bed geared to said cylinder and adapted to support a form and superposed flong, a second cylinder for pressing the fiong against said form, a chain for driving said second cylinder from the first and a resiliently mounted idler'permitting said second cylinder to move independently of the first.

7. A matrix rolling machine including in combination a cylinder, a form supporting bed geared to said cylinder and adapted to support a form and superposed fiong, a second cylinder for pressing the flong against said form, a chain for driving said second cylinder from the first and resiliently mounted idlers for taking up the slack on each reach of the chain and permitting the speed of the second cylinder to vary slightly with reference to that of the first cylinder.

8. A matrix rolling machine including in combination a cylinder, a form supporting bed geared to said cylinder and adapted to support a form and superposed fiong, a second cylinder for pressing the flong against said form, a chain for driving said second cylinder from the first, idlers on 2,008,819 V 3 same :periphera'l' speed as thesp'eednf :the T bed, fsaidgearing includinggresilient: driving; means for the fiongepressirig"cylinder whereby itsfspeed "may vary slightly while the speed of the bed and -- "10. A matrix rolling machine including in com- :bination a' cylinder, aform supporting bedgeared to said, cylinder and, adapted 'tor'support a .form and superposed fiong, a second cylinder'for presse ing-the-fiong against said form, a sprocket driven byisaidi first cylinder, a" chain connecting: said sprocket land secondcylinder and'resilient means permitting the speed of: said second cylinder to yaryslightly with reference, to :that 3 of, the first.

11. A matrix'rolling machine including in combination'a cylinder, a form supporting bed geared to said cylinder and adapted to support, a form and superposed fiong, a second cylinder for pressing the fiong against said form, a sprocket drivenbination a form supporting bed, a cylinder to roll a fiong against said form, means for variably positioning said cylinder in either of two'positions to accommodate forms of different thickne sses, means for moving the cylinder to impression position in either of said first positions and means for driving said cylinder in any of said positions at approximately the speed at which the bed is moved beneath said cylinder, said driving means including resilient means permitting the speed of said cylinder to vary slightly with reference to that of the bed.

13. A matrix rolling machine including in combination a form supporting bed, a cylinder to roll a fiong against the surface of said form, means for rotatably mounting and variably positioning said cylinder including a pair of eccentrics at either end of the cylinder, one eccentric being mounted in the other, and means for driving said cylinder at substantially'the same speed as the bed, said driving means including a chain and resiliently mounted idlers for takingup slack in the chain and permitting slight variations in the speed of the cylinder.

14. A matrix rolling machine including in combination a form supporting bed, a cylinder to roll a fiong against the surface of said form, a second cylinder directly beneath the first cylinder and supporting the bed, and means for variably positioning said cylinder with reference to said bed, including means for moving the cylinder to either of two positions to accommodate thick or thin forms and means for moving the cylinder to impression position or to clear the fiong in either of said two positions.

15. A matrix rolling machine including in combination a form supporting bed, a'cylinder to roll a flong against said form and means for rotatably mounting and variably positioning said cylinder including an eccentric at either end of the cylinder and in which the cylinder is rotatably journalled and other eccentrics in which said first eccentrics are mounted. 1

driving connections between saidv gears for driving said cylinder at approximately the speed of the bed, said connections including means for permitting slight variations in the speed of said cylinder with respect to the bed.

17. A matrix rolling machine including in combination a form supporting bed, a driving shaft geared to said bed, a gear fixed on said shaft, a cylinder for pressing flong against a form on said bed, a gear fixed on the shaft of said cylinder, driving connections between'said gears for driving said cylinder at approximately the speed of the bed, said connections including means for permitting said cylinder to slightly accelerate or jdecelerate it as by reason of 'variations'in the surface of the form. l

18. A matrix rolling machine including in combination a form supporting bed, a driving shaft geared to said bed, a gear fixed on said shaft, a cylinder 'for pressing fiong against a form on said bed, a gear fixed on the shaft of said cylinder, driving connections between said gears including a sprocket chain and means responding to differences in the rolling pressure for varying the length of the. two reaches of the sprocket. chain to causesmall variations in the speed of said cylinder. p i

CURTIS S. CRAFTS. 

